Re: bark cloth (Re: Polynesian canoes

From: Carmen (carmenz30_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 07/27/04 

Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 12:56:07 +1200

"George" <gblack@hnpl.net> wrote in message
news:9b937279.0407260034.3fb1cc40@posting.google.com...
> "t(nospam)kavanagh" <"tkavanag"@(nospam)indiana.edu> wrote in message
news:<ce1hbk$4n0$1@hood.uits.indiana.edu>...
> > Yuri Kuchinsky wrote:
> > >
> > > "t(nospam)kavanagh" wrote:
> > >
> > > ...
> > >
> > > > And finally, a little later in that same paragraph that Yuri is wont
to
> > > > quote, Niblack concludes "... yet the resemblances and similarities
are
> > > > as likely to have arisen from the like tendencies of the human mind
> > > > under the same external conditions, or environment, to develop along
> > > > parallel lines as through contact or common origin."
> > > >
> > > > tk
> > >
> > > There are 2 separate issues here.
> > >
> > > 1. Were these cloaks similar in appearance?
> > > 2. How to explain this similarity.
> > >
> > > Niblack testimony re #1 is important.
> >
> > And superficial. Twined-bark technologies occur world-wide.
> >
> > > His attempt to address #2 is open to debate.
> >
> > By using the word "attempt" here, rather than phrasing the "issues" in
> > parallel, e.g., "Niblack's] testimony re #2 ...", you are clearly
> > showing your own prejudicial bias against Niblack's testimony #2, rather
> > than an objective effort to refute it.
> >
> > Conversely, why isn't #1 "open to debate." Niblack provides no evidence
> > or examples of what he thinks are similarities, no specifics, no
> > artifact numbers (he was, after all, doing research in the USNM which
> > numbers its artifacts). While Niblack did visit the NWC for a total of 9
> > months over three years, and some undetermined time at the USNM, he
> > never visited New Zealand.
> >
>
> Most 'authorities' of those days were able to arrive at conclusions
> without actually going onto the sites.
> :-)

That is a real advantage of internet,
erroneous conclusions can be dealt with
very quickly and people are able to have
immediate contact with
people who *actually* come from / live in
those countries and cultures concerned.

Carmen